Support: Team-mates Hamilton and Kovalainen

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McLaren boss Ron Dennis has rejected Sir Jackie Stewart's opinion that Lewis Hamilton's bid to win the World Championship depends on the support he gets from team-mate Heikki Kovalainen.

Having taken back-to-back wins at the British and German grands prix, Hamilton - who has a total of four victories this season - has opened up a four-point lead in the Drivers' Championship over Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Massa's team-mate, defending World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, lies three points behind in third place, with BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica - the last of 2008's championship contenders - in fourth.

Meanwhile, Kovalainen lies sixth in the championship on 28 points, the Finn out-qualifying Hamilton on three occasions but struggling so far to match his team-mate in races.

Given the state of the title battle, three-times World Champion Stewart believes "Kovalainen has got to be able to take a position away from a Ferrari driver".

However, Dennis has responded by repeating the team's oft-stated policy of equality and insisting that Hamilton does not need any extra help from Kovalainen.

"I have enormous respect for Sir Jackie, he was one of grand prix racing's truly great World Champions. Equally, we're always willing to accept constructive criticism and the affection felt in Britain for Lewis means lots of people are anxious to give well-intentioned advice," Dennis was quoted by autosport.com.

"But the fact is that Sir Jackie retired from motor racing in 1973, which is 35 years ago, and the sport has moved on in that time. His suggestion that Lewis's World Championship campaign depends on Heikki's assistance presupposes that Heikki's task is to drive in support of Lewis, and that simply isn't the case.

"The truth is that Lewis doesn't need any extra help. He and Heikki are good mates but they're both highly competitive individuals and they take their own decisions.

"We have a long history of giving our drivers equal treatment and opportunity, and that isn't about to change."